by Shay Savage
Trapped
Caged: Book 2
By Shay Savage
Copyright © 2015 Shay Savage
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design by Mayhem Cover Creations
Editing: Chayasara
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems-except in the case of brief excerpts or quotations embodied in review or critical writings without the express permission of the author, Shay Savage.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1—Observe the Mayhem
Chapter 2—Hold the Temper
Chapter 3—Unpack the Stuff
Chapter 4—Suffer the Wait
Chapter 5—Help the Neighbor
Chapter 6—Feel the Heat
Chapter 7—Share the Stories
Chapter 8—Remember the Good
Chapter 9—Embrace the Patience
Chapter 10—Savor the Moment
Chapter 11—Lose the Fight
Chapter 12—Run the Gauntlet
Chapter 13—Flee the Scene
Chapter 14—Pay the Price
Chapter 15—Heal the Body
Chapter 16—Shock the System
Chapter 17—Do the Worst
Chapter 18—Inject the Poison
Author’s notes
Excerpt from Caged: Book 3—Released
More Books by Shay Savage
About the Author
Chapter 1—Observe the Mayhem
I traveled to the sacred spot for the sacred ceremony in the back of a rusty old pickup truck. I was pretty sure it was the same one parked outside the apartment building when Keith paid a little visit to Tria a couple of months ago. Brandon and Keith were in the front, and two other guys were in the back with me. The one named Devin did nothing but glare at me, and I was pretty sure I caught him actually baring his teeth. The guy named Conner just kept staring at me, which made my skin crawl.
No one said a word.
That was probably for the best because I was really in the mood to bash someone’s skull in—not hold polite conversation. The only thing that kept me from insisting on riding with Tria was the fact that Keith was with me, and this way I could keep my eye on him. I didn’t trust him, not the least little bit. He hadn’t been expecting me to be here with Tria—that was clear—and the news obviously upset him more than my actual presence.
Though there was no conversation in the bed of the truck, I could hear Brandon and Keith talking in the cab. I couldn’t make out all of the conversation—just bits and pieces. Phrases like “for the community,” “duty to your people,” and “going against tradition” kept coming up. They were obviously disagreeing, and I assumed it had something to do with what was about to transpire. No matter how much I angled my ear toward the partially opened window, I still couldn’t hear clearly.
We drove through Beals, which was pretty dead on a Tuesday evening, just a few folks around the little diner and a handful of teenagers huddled in jackets against the cold wind. At least the rain had tapered off into a fine mist that stung my face if I moved away from the protection of the back of the cab.
We went through town and out onto a mostly deserted highway, then up a long road through the trees. Again, I had the feeling of claustrophobia as the trees on either side of the narrow gravel road hovered over us. Though there was a bit of light still left in the sky, beyond the trees it was dark and foreboding.
I didn’t like it.
At all.
We pulled off to the edge of the road where there were several other vehicles—all old, rusty, and barely drivable—parked in and around the trees. I couldn’t figure out how some of them had even gotten where they were, let alone how they were going to get out again. I practically had to climb halfway around a tree just to get out of the back of the truck.
I turned my head toward the sound of the cab door slamming shut, and Brandon stomped off past me. The others seemed to be hovering around Keith, so without knowing what else to do, I followed Brandon through the trees on what I guessed was supposed to be a path. Another guy crawled out of an old hatchback and introduced himself as Nikki’s brother, Steven, before we continued on. It was only a hundred yards or so until we reached a clearing in the middle of a bunch of pine trees with branches creating a canopy, reaching out to cover us.
I could immediately see the advantage to holding rituals in this rainy climate here—the tree cover was so thick even the mist didn’t seem to make it through. It was still bitterly cold, and I shoved my hands deep into my pockets, trying to find a little warmth.
“Hey, Steven,” Brandon called over his shoulder. The younger man passed me and went to his side. “Can you check to see if Nikki has anything else she wants to say before this…um…starts?”
“Sure,” Steven said, and he took off around the edge of the trees to the far side of the clearing.
I followed him with my gaze and felt immediate relief at the sight of Tria standing near her friend in the unusual dress and Nikki’s mother, Patricia. I still couldn’t believe all these family members were going to watch this shit. At least Tria had assured me Nikki’s own brother wasn’t participating. I wasn’t sure if that was because he was only sixteen or because he was her brother, and I decided I didn’t really want to know. I had been told her father died of a heart attack a few years ago, but fathers weren’t a part of the ritual either.
Except for watching. The whole fucking community watched, apparently.
Okay, maybe not everybody, but there had to be about fifty people milling around the trees. Some of them were setting up some kind of structure—the fucking altar, I guessed—in the center of the trees. It looked like it could have doubled as an OBGYN’s examination table. Others were walking near the tree line and placing flat stones around the perimeter of the clearing or lighting small fires around the area. As soon as all the rocks were placed, people were ushered to certain stones by two older women wearing dresses similar to the one Nikki had been wearing but with a lot less beadwork. There were only a few colorful lines down the sleeves. One of them with dark, narrow eyes came close and peered up at me.
“You the one with Demetria?” Her sour face made it clear she didn’t want me here. Her dry lips smashed together repeatedly as she spoke, making me wonder if you could actually grind wheat into flour between them. She had long gray hair in a braid that touched the back of her waist and skin that was wrinkled into layers around her face and neck.
I nodded, and she grabbed hold of my elbow tightly enough for me to feel it through my jacket. She hauled me over to the far side of the clearing and pointed to one of the rocks on the ground.
“Stand behind it,” she said.
When I had my feet in the exact position she wanted, she nodded once and started toward the next person.
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked her.
She turned her narrow eyes back to me and then glanced up and down my body once.
“Keep your dick to yourself,” she replied as she walked off.
“Nice,” I muttered under my breath.
I looked down at my feet and noticed there was a little shape painted on the top of the rock. It might have been a fish of some sort though the drawing reminded me of hieroglyphics more than an actual picture. Whatever it was, it had a swimmy little tail at the back end of it.
It occurred to me that it might be a sperm, and I took a step back from the rock.
Two young women approached me, and as I looked back and forth between them, I wondered if I was seeing
double. They both looked exactly alike and were dressed in identical outfits. The clothing was similar to the dresses Nikki and the older women wore but were separate pants and shirts with beading on the sleeves and shoulders.
“So you’re the one, huh?” The vision on the left spoke.
They both eyed me up and down.
“Well, I can see why she likes him.” The one on the right giggled.
“Can I help you?” I questioned. I was not in the mood for any further bullshit at this point.
The one on the left held out her hand.
“I’m Helen,” she said. “And this is Heather. We’re Keith and Demetria’s sisters.”
“Oh…right.” I shouldn’t have been surprised since I did remember Tria saying that there were two girls in the family she grew up with. If I remembered right, she said they were a year apart, but they could have passed for twins. “I’m Liam.”
“You really shouldn’t be here,” Helen said. “You’re interfering with our life. You ought to leave Demmy alone.”
“Well, I won’t,” I responded.
Helen turned on her heel and walked away, and I could see the slight curve of her stomach in the light from the fires and wondered if Tria knew her “sister” was pregnant. I was left with Heather still looking me over, and it was starting to piss me off. I put my hands on my hips and just waited until she looked at my face again. She narrowed her eyes a little and took a step closer.
“You’re taking care of her, aren’t you?” she asked quietly. “I mean—you’re going to be good to her, right?”
Taken aback, I looked at her and blinked a few times before I realized what she meant.
“Yeah,” I told her. “I’ll take care of Tria.”
“Good,” she responded before she turned and followed her sister toward one of the fires. They leaned together, spoke in whispered voices, and then nodded to each other.
Everyone else seemed to be taking places around the center table. Through the canopy of evergreen foliage, the moon shone from the clearing sky, only partially obstructed by thin clouds. The tree trunks around us were covered in pale green ribbons, strung with feathers like some kind of natural streamers all over them. The two older women walked in a slow circle around the group—reaching out and touching the feathers hanging from the trees as they went. They made multiple trips around, and as they moved, everyone edged closer toward the center.
Tria moved in behind one of the women and hung seashells at the end of each of the feathered ribbons. The next trip around the circle, the two women knocked their long, wrinkled fingers against the shells and made them chime softly into the night air.
Movement from the far side of the circle caught my attention, and I saw an ancient man with one leg and a crutch to steady himself move slowly into the center of the group. He looked around the circle, taking in the face of each person as he went. When he got to me, his eyes lingered a little longer, and I thought I saw them narrow slightly before he continued to Steven, who stood a few feet to my left.
So this would be Leo—the council leader. This was the man who raised Tria when her own father was killed and the father of Keith, Helen, and Heather. Knowing he was the leader of the group and the father of multiple children, I wondered if he would take the first turn at Nikki once her husband was done with her.
My stomach churned, and the two old women began to chant.
The sound sent shivers up my arms and down my spine. The melody could only be described in cliché phrases such as haunting and mesmerizing. They continued the strange, rhythmic sound as they carried a large wooden bowl to the man with the crutch, who tilted the dish to his lips before passing it back to them. The bowl was then carried to the outside of the circle where each man stood behind a stone on the ground, and a woman stood in front of it.
The women didn’t drink from the dish but held it up for their men to take a slight sip from it before passing it to the next woman. The chanting continued as the bowl was passed around the group—from older men to younger ones, finally stopping at the man on the other side of Steven.
I could only presume he would be the last one to fuck the woman in the fancy dress who stood near the head of the table in the center.
As the last man drank, the old women took the still mostly full bowl to the center of the circle and handed it to Tria. She also took a sip of the liquid before handing it to Nikki. With a deep breath, Nikki took the bowl and drained it completely in several gulps. She stumbled slightly as she placed the bowl at the head of the table and took Tria’s hands. They kissed each other’s cheeks, and then Tria led Nikki to the other end of the table. The young woman climbed up on the table and lay on her back. Tria stepped back a bit and then wrapped Nikki’s arms in more ribbons strung with feathers, which I thought gave it quite a nice little bondage touch.
Images of the train porn Wade had once brought to my place flashed through my head, but I tried to push the thoughts away. It didn’t work very well because the image was just too similar, and the S&M theme was too much in the foreground.
I shook my head a little, trying to figure out if I was really watching this or if I had somehow dreamed up the whole thing. I glanced to my side and saw Steven looking at the ground, his face much paler than it had looked before. He clasped his hands in front of him and squeezed his fingers together repeatedly.
Apparently done with her part of the ceremony, Tria came over and stood in front of me. I reached out and wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her close to my chest. She didn’t resist, and I welcomed the familiar comfort of her warm body against mine in the chilled night air.
“The People have a need,” the ancient man in the center announced. “In the beginning, our numbers were strong, and many children were born every year. As the influence of the outside world prevailed, our young left the home of The People and made lives for themselves away from the path of the community. Our numbers decreased, and The People knew sacrifices were necessary for the good of all.”
Brandon walked up to the middle of the group and stood before Leo.
“This man will make such a sacrifice tonight.”
Leo continued on about honor and sacrifice for some time, but I stopped listening to the bullshit line he was feeding everyone. I couldn’t believe how everyone stared at him, fascinated, as he justified the public banging of some guy’s wife for the sake of impregnating her. None of it made any sense to me, but then again, I didn’t understand why some monks refuse to wear clothes, either. It wasn’t my culture, so maybe I just needed to get over the whole thing.
There was one person who didn’t seem as enthralled about what was being said, though. As everyone else focused on the council leader, I watched Brandon instead. His hands were shaking, and he kept looking from Leo to Nikki with a shocked expression on his face. He stared at the circle of men who would soon be lining up to take a turn at her.
“As the vessel of life takes the seed of the community—”
“No!”
The shout seemed to startle the people on either side of me, and Brandon took a couple of steps forward, moving between Leo and the table where Nikki lay on her back. I could see her trying to lift her head a little to see, but she was too drugged to do it.
Brandon stepped up to his wife’s side and leaned close to her.
“We’re not doing this!” I heard him exclaim as he started unwinding the ribbons from her arms. “We’re going to find some other way. I’m not going to let you go through with this!”
Nikki sat up and promptly slumped against him. I didn’t know what had been in the bowl, but it obviously had her pretty out of it.
“But…but we said we would…” she mumbled.
“Forget it!” Brandon exclaimed.
“I want a baby…for you…”
“We’ll have one,” he promised her. “We’ll find some way.”
“Brandon,” Leo said, interrupting, “this isn’t just about you and Nikki. I know it’s difficult, but for the
sake of your people—”
“I don’t care!” Brandon stated. “I’m not going to just stand around and watch this. Liam was right—this is just too fucked up!”
All eyes turned to me, and Tria’s back pushed up against my chest a little tighter as she tilted her head back to look at me. Keith’s hateful glare bore down on me almost as murderously as his father’s.
“What?” I asked. “I didn’t do anything!”
“Come on, Nikki,” Brandon said. He lifted her up under her arms and tried to help her stand. She nearly fell over, but he kept his grip on her.
“I don’t have to do it?” she asked quietly.
“Brandon, think about what you are doing,” Leo said. “Your people need you. The community needs you, and you need to—”
“No, Nikki,” he told her as he ignored Leo’s words. “We’re not doing this.”
“Oh…good,” she mumbled in her drugged stupor. “I didn’t want to do it.”
“I know,” he replied as he gave up trying to get her to stand on her feet and bent down to pick her up in his arms.
“Nikki…” Patricia took a step forward and out of the circle, but she didn’t seem to know what she wanted to say past her own daughter’s name.
“Could you take us home, please?” Brandon asked as he passed his mother-in-law.
“Thank God,” Steven mumbled quietly next to me.
Everyone just kind of stood there and watched, some with mouths hanging open, as Brandon carried Nikki out of the clearing. Patricia followed them without another word, and within a couple of minutes, the guests of honor were pulling out around a tree and moving off down the road, heading out of sight.
“So, is there a backup ceremony or anything now?” I asked Tria with a wide grin.
“Liam!” she said through a tight jaw. “Shut up!”
She looked back at Leo, who was openly glaring at me now as he shuffled over to us.
“I don’t know what you said to that boy.” He spoke quietly, but his voice still carried. “I don’t know, and at this point, I don’t care. You have interfered with the lives and traditions of my people for the first and only time I will stand for such a thing. From this point on, you are not welcome here, nor are you welcome in the lives of my family.”